Okay, so I know that CNN video review of the 3DS was a bit ridiculous, including that part where he compares the 3DS to the iPhone or iTouch, but it got me wondering, would Nintendo ever release free apps/games for the 3DS like on the iTouch/iPhone? Or even just similar apps that aren't free?

Recently, my friends have been playing this game called Words with friends and it's like Scrabble that you can play with friends (one person will spell out a word and it will send to the other person and they can just take their turn whenever). Think it's possible for them to incorporate something like that for the 3DS? I mean, the 3DS does have access to wifi now (not just limited to WEP). Or what about like an instant messenger for the 3DS? And would Ninty ever make apps free so that people have more reason to buy the 3DS? Or.. do you think the 3DS is in a totally different league and not to be compared with the iPod products..?

I hope my questions make sense.. it's just been something I've been wondering about..

EDIT: Whoops. I meant the 3DS in the title.. if someone could kindly change that, that would be awesome, thanks.

Well they already released non-games apps with the calculators, clocks and Flipnote Studio on the DSi, so it's not totally impossible. However, I don't think Nintendo themselves would bring anything more advanced since they're a game company only.
Would be nice if Nintendo used the eStore to allow homebrew developers to put stuff up there like Microsoft does on XBox Live, but I'd be really surprised if they did (although it would help them to work against Flashcarts while making the consumers happy)

In fairness to the CNN guy, they're reviewing it from a consumer gadget perceptive, not a gaming handheld one.
Which is Nintendo's fault for releasing a 3D device, and promising movie content then saying that would come later.

I think there will be some non-gaming apps.
One from Nintendo will be the 3DS Video Taking App, whatever they call it, probably Cinema.
And an influx on 3D CLOCKS!

I hope that they release some free apps. If the dsi story repeats, all you'll get is flipnotes studio(animation app) and a free browser. Although, I bet that nintendo will release a few more than them but I don't expect them to go above the 10 mark. Nintendo likes to get paid for everything they do. Anyway, the games on the 3DS will obviously be better than the ones on any idevice because unlike them, the 3DS is dedicated to gaming and ONLY gaming.

EDIT: The DSi store has quite a few apps which aren't free, but most of them are ridiculous/useless. For example, look at this. The other apps aren't any better.

The success of iPhone AppStore is coming from the following:
- most applications/games are super-cheap
- iPhone SDK is relatively cheap
- anyone can publish (provided the app passes the validation process)

Myself, I cannot see any of these happening on 3DS.

Nintendo won't ever allow freelancers to publish in their AppStore.
Their validation process is even stricter than Apple's.
Their SDK is quite expensive.
Plus, free/extremely cheap games would be in direct competition to shitty but expensive retail shovelware sold for $30 USD. Like, Bust-A-Move... c'mon, this game could be implemented over a weekend. Steel Diver - excluding the 3D view - the same.

Going back to the subject, I would appreciate:
- organizer app
- media player (MoonShell running in native resolution with added XviD support would be great

Nintendo won't ever allow freelancers to publish in their AppStore.
Their validation process is even stricter than Apple's.
Their SDK is quite expensive.
Plus, free/extremely cheap games would be in direct competition to shitty but expensive retail shovelware sold for $30 USD. Like, Bust-A-Move... c'mon, this game could be implemented over a weekend.Isn't made to be unlimited? Steel Diver - excluding the 3D view - the same.

I highly doubt we'll see too much of that type of content. Nintendo did, of course, add some type of animation creator (forget the name offhand) for the DSi, but both Iwata and Reggie have been very vocal in the last month or two regarding the depreciation of the value of software due to free and low-priced apps available on iPhone and other mobile devices. I think they're actually looking to move in the opposite direction from the sounds of it.

Plus, free/extremely cheap games would be in direct competition to shitty but expensive retail shovelware sold for $30 USD. Like, Bust-A-Move... c'mon, this game could be implemented over a weekend. Steel Diver - excluding the 3D view - the same.

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And why exactly would that be bad? Nintendo isn't the one flooding the market with shovelware, it's third parties. If there's cheaper (and probably better) versions that would reduce the ammount of expensive shovelware in store shelves so people don't do a shitty purchase as often, increasing the reputation of the device's library. Customers happy, Nintendo happy, 3rd party developers forced to produce better stuff.

I would like to mention that altough it is true that there is a lot of free app on the AppStore, it is also true that a lot of them ask to pay for the fulll version (internally, I am not speaking about free or lite version of Apps).

The thing you have to keep in mind when comparing the iThings to Nintendo's devices is that Nintendo is a gaming company while Apple is a general hardware company. The 3DS is meant, first and foremost, to be a gaming machine with possible movies/music/apps on the side. The iDevices, rather, are meant to be general entertainment devices with gaming on the side (as shown by the lack of buttons and not-so-strict licensing/release processes). I would expect some applications like the iDevices have, but Nintendo won't let just anyone with an SDK publish their work. It needs to be certified by Nintendo first.

Quoted from pachura:

Nintendo won't ever allow freelancers to publish in their AppStore.
Their validation process is even stricter than Apple's.
Their SDK is quite expensive.
Plus, free/extremely cheap games would be in direct competition to shitty but expensive retail shovelware sold for $30 USD. Like, Bust-A-Move... c'mon, this game could be implemented over a weekend. Steel Diver - excluding the 3D view - the same.

Click to expand...

*cough*World of Goo was developed by two guys and made it on WiiWare... (awesome game btw). Nintendo won't allow "garage developers" that make two-minute crap games like most of what you see on the iPods (though not all; Robot Unicorn Attack and Battle for Wesnoth are awesome), though they will allow indie developers as evidenced by many of the WiiWare titles. It all just depends on the general quality of the game.

Nintendo won't let just anyone with an SDK publish their work. It needs to be certified by Nintendo first.

Click to expand...

Apple does exactly the same. Every game/app has to pass the certification process.

But I do not really believe Nintendo is obsessed with game quality. There haven't stopped tons of shovelware from being released on DS (shitty 2D platformers based on Disney movies, Barbie stuff, "Imagine ***" series, countless rip-offs of Brain Training and Nintendogz, etc. etc.)

nintendo allows plenty of crap and they certainly aren't gonna allow for software to be sold cheap on their site since they make a cut off of everything no matter how shitty. you can forget about free third party apps, nintendo is not gonna host them without getting paid.

And where's the difference between making money of third party cartridge sales or making money off third party download sales? Nintendo would still make money while increasing the image of their hardware.

Now it's a race against time for the 3ds sales before a new iphone model arrives, and when it does, it'll probably have 3D aswell, and when that happens it will kill the new nintendo system, so i really hope nintendo let developers make apps. it would be pretty neat if nintendo made expansions to the built-in softwares along too. Like face-raiders online, or Mii Maker+ with additional features and designs. 3D flipnote studio, now that would be awesome (even though i'm not really sure how that's gonna work)

Now it's a race against time for the 3ds sales before a new iphone model arrives, and when it does, it'll probably have 3D aswell, and when that happens it will kill the new nintendo system, so i really hope nintendo let developers make apps. it would be pretty neat if nintendo made expansions to the built-in softwares along too. Like face-raiders online, or Mii Maker+ with additional features and designs. 3D flipnote studio, now that would be awesome (even though i'm not really sure how that's gonna work)

Now it's a race against time for the 3ds sales before a new iphone model arrives, and when it does, it'll probably have 3D aswell, and when that happens it will kill the new nintendo system...

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Not that I am ever likely to buy another apple product, but I doubt it. The iDevices require you to use your fingers, which gets all sorts of crap and greasy mark all over the screen, my ipod is completely covered in fingerprints, i clean often, but as soon as its clean for a minute, it's covered in prints again.
This causes a reap problem on 3D screens. A finger print on the 3ds top screen, completely messes up the 3d as it changes the view of two screens, not just one. Do you really think people will love using a device that has to be constantly cleaned just to see the screen properly? Plus, once you go sticking your fingers all over the screen, it ruins the view and spoils everything.